The Complete Guide to Winning Chess Combination Tactics
What you'll learn
- Ability to understand Steinitz's perspective on combinations.
- Ability to appreciate Lasker's approach to combinative play.
- Ability to explore Alekhine's creativity in combination play.
- Ability to study Botvinnik's logical combination techniques.
- Ability to identify Karpov's strategic combination themes.
- Ability to grasp Tal's flair for imaginative combinations.
- Ability to identify Karpov's strategic combination themes.
- Ability to define chess combinations as sequences with clear goals.
- Ability to recognize King safety weaknesses around f7/f2.
- Ability to leverage bishop without a counterpart to attack f7.
- Ability to initiate King hunts starting from f7/f2 sacrifices.
- Ability to weaken dark squares for combination potential.
- Ability to exploit the g2 weakness before defensive moves are possible.
- Ability to execute Greek Gift sacrifices for decisive attacks.
- Ability to creatively follow up on bishop sacrifices.
- Ability to bring the opponent’s King down the board tactically.
- Ability to utilize the "Diagonal of Death" in combinations.
- Ability to manage sacrifices to lure the King into mating nets.
- Ability to build pressure on a castled King.
- Ability to combine pawn storms with open files for attacks.
- Ability to use semi-open files for tactical breakthroughs.
- Ability to handle endgame pressure with precision.
- Ability to overwhelm the opponent with more attacking pieces.
- Ability to coordinate attackers against insufficient defenses.
- Ability to exploit pins for quick tactical wins.
- Ability to utilize "Alekhine’s Gun" for maximum pin pressure.
- Ability to rebel against relative pins for tactical advantage.
- Ability to force open attacking files for combinations.
- Ability to close defensive diagonals to limit opponent resources.
- Ability to forcibly open critical squares for attackers.
- Ability to remove key defenders around the opponent’s King.
- Ability to use sacrifices to eliminate defensive pawns.
- Ability to reverse-engineer common mating patterns.
- Ability to execute windmill tactics effectively.
- Ability to restrict the King’s escape squares for decisive attacks.
- Ability to coordinate pieces effectively on key squares.
- Ability to exploit an exposed King in the center.
- Ability to create combinations that punish poor King safety.
- Ability to capitalize on back-rank weaknesses.
- Ability to use centralized pieces for combinative strength.
- Ability to leverage passed pawns in combination play.
- Ability to sacrifice material to advance passed pawns.
- Ability to exploit pieces away from King-side defenses.
- Ability to liberate key pieces for attacking roles.
- Ability to exploit long diagonals for tactical strikes.
- Ability to create and utilize knight outposts for attacks.
- Ability to exploit common squares for mating threats.
- Ability to use thorn pawns to disrupt the opponent’s defense.
- Ability to create outposts as a basis for combinations.
- Ability to position rooks on the 7th rank for maximum pressure.
- Ability to secure draws with perpetual checks.
- Ability to use combinations to enable King infiltration in the endgame.
- Ability to assess the risks of unsound combinations.
- Ability to prepare specific combinations at home.
- Ability to analyze and learn from disaster combinations.
- Ability to craft defensive combinations to avoid checkmate.
- Ability to exploit structural weaknesses created by the opponent.
- Ability to create winning chances in opposite-colored bishop endgames.
- Ability to provoke and exploit irreversible pawn weaknesses.
- Ability to execute combinations aimed at winning material.
- Ability to drive the opponent’s King into vulnerable positions.
- Ability to maximize the power of an uncontested bishop.
- Ability to sustain threats to improve positional advantages.
Requirements
- Familiarity with how chess pieces move and the basic rules of the game (e.g., castling, en passant).
Description
Supercharge Your Chess Tactics with Winning Combinations
Are you ready to transform your chess skills and unleash your inner tactician? Whether you’re a beginner looking to sharpen your game or an intermediate player aiming to outwit opponents, "Supercharge Your Chess Tactics with Winning Combinations" is your comprehensive guide to mastering the art of tactical brilliance.
This course dives deep into the fascinating world of chess combinations, equipping you with the tools and strategies to dominate the board. Learn how to exploit tactical opportunities like exposed kings, weak back ranks, overloaded pieces, and pinned defenders. Understand how to leverage your positional strengths, such as active pieces, passed pawns, and king safety, to deliver crushing blows and gain a decisive advantage.
What Are Chess Combinations Composed Of?
Chess combinations rely on various tactical motifs and patterns, each designed to exploit weaknesses and create opportunities. Beyond foundational ideas like forks, pins, and skewers, there are numerous subtle and advanced motifs including:
Tactical Motifs and Patterns (Alphabetically)
Absolute Pin
Advanced Pawn
Alekhine’s Gun
Annihilation of Defense
Attraction
Battery
Blockading Defensive Resources
Capture
Capture the Defender
Checks (Gaining Key Tempo)
Clearance
Combine and Win Tactics
Connected Passed Pawns
Counter Attack
Counter Threat
Counterplay Management Move
Cross-Check
Cross-Pin
Decoy
Deflection
Demolition of Pawns Around Opponent's King
Demolition of Pawn Structure
Desperado
Discovered Attack
Discovered Check
Domination
Double Attack
Double Check
Draw Tactics
Endgame Tactics
Exchange Sacrifice
f2 (or f7) Weakness
Forcing Moves
Fork
Goal Hanging Tactics
Greek Gift Sacrifice
Indirect Defense
Interference
Intermediate Move (Zwischenzug)
King Aggression in Endgames
King Chase
Liberational Tactics
Mating Net
Opposition
Overload the Defender
Passed Pawn Creation
Pawn Breakthrough
Pawn-Fork
Pawn Tactics
Perpetual Attack
Perpetual Check
Pins (Absolute)
Pins (Relative)
Pins (Virtual)
Pins (Celebration)
Positional Tactic
Prophylaxis Move
Queen and Bishop Battery
Quiet but Killer Move
Relative Pin
Remove the Defender
Removing King Escape Squares
Rook Lift
Rooks on the 7th rank
Sacrifice (Calculated)
Sacrifice (Positional)
Simplification
Situational Pin
Soft Spot Sacrifice
Strategic Crush Tactic
Skewer
Stalemate Tactics
Tempo Tactics
Thorn Pawns
Threat Making
Trapped Piece
Triangulation
Two Rooks Battery
Two Rooks on 7th Rank
Undermining
Underpromotion
Weak Back-Rank
Weakness of Last Move
Windmill
X-Ray
X-Ray Attack
X-Ray Defense
Zugzwang
Zwischenzug
Mating Patterns (Alphabetically)
Anastasia's Mate
Anderssen's Mate
Arabian Mate
Back-Rank Mate
Bishop and Knight Mate
Blackburne's Mate
Blind Swine Mate
Boden's Mate
Box Mate (Rook Mate)
Combine and Win Mate
Corner Mate
Cozio's Mate
Damiano's Bishop Mate
Damiano's Mate
David and Goliath Mate
Double Bishop Mate
Dovetail Mate
Epaulette Mate
Fool’s Mate
Greco's Mate
Hook Mate
Kill Box Mate
King and Two Bishops Mate
King and Two Knights Mate
Ladder Checkmate
Légal Mate
Lolli's Mate
Max Lange's Mate
Mayet's Mate
Morphy's Mate
Opera Mate
Pillsbury's Mate
Queen Mate
Réti's Mate
Smothered Mate
Support Mate
Suffocation Mate
Swallow's Tail Mate
Combinations often weave together multiple tactical motifs and patterns, forming a seamless sequence of interconnected ideas that create dynamic and instructive positions.
They typically consist of two or more fundamental chess tactics, such as forks, pins, skewers, undermining, or discovered attacks. While most combinations span at least three moves, the most dazzling sacrificial combinations stand out for their brilliance, often relying on a delayed recovery of the sacrificed material to achieve a decisive advantage. However, not all combinations involve sacrifices—this course features many examples where tactical opportunities are exploited without material loss, highlighting their practicality and effectiveness in real games.
How do you know when combinations exist - this course asks the key question: What is there to LEVERAGE?
LEVERAGE Downsides of opponent position. Things to leverage include:
Awkward Pieces (trappable)
King Safety Issues e.g. Back rank
Loose pieces (unprotected)
Overworked pieces
Pieces away from King
Tactical Liabilities in general
Your opponent's position's weaknesses and downsides in general
LEVERAGE Upsides of your position. Things to leverage include:
1. Passed pawn potential
2. Bishop without counterpart
3. Bishop pair
4. Strong Knight outpost
5. Your position strengths and upsides in general
What You’ll Learn
The Fundamentals of Chess Tactics: Develop a solid foundation by exploring core themes like forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks.
Mastering Chess Combinations: Dive into advanced concepts like removing defenders, creating decoys, and exploiting overworked pieces to turn small advantages into decisive wins.
Recognizing Tactical Patterns: Learn to identify common tactical motifs that appear in real games and how to set traps to capitalize on your opponent’s mistakes.
Winning Endgame Tactics: Discover how to apply tactical combinations in endgames, leveraging passed pawns, opposition, and zugzwang to secure victories.
Dynamic Piece Coordination: Understand how to harmonize your pieces for maximum impact, creating threats that overwhelm even the strongest defenses.
Why Take This Course?
Practical Examples: Study real-world games and scenarios to see how grandmasters and legendary players have applied winning combinations.
Step-by-Step Instruction: Each lesson breaks down complex tactical ideas into simple, actionable steps that anyone can follow.
Interactive Challenges: Test your skills with carefully selected puzzles that reinforce the concepts you’ve learned.
Comprehensive Coverage: From beginner tactics like forks and discovered attacks to intermediate and advanced combinations, this course has it all.
Who Is This Course For?
Beginners: If you’re new to chess, this course will teach you the essential tactical skills to compete confidently.
Intermediate Players: Take your game to the next level by mastering combinations that punish your opponent’s mistakes and maximize your strengths.
Tournament Players: Gain a competitive edge with a deeper understanding of tactical motifs and patterns, helping you outplay opponents in critical positions.
What Makes This Course Unique?
Focus on Practical Play: This isn’t just theory—you’ll learn how to apply these tactics in your games, from casual online matches to serious over-the-board competitions.
Learn From the Best: Explore the tactics of legendary players like Tal, Fischer, and Kasparov, as well as modern engines like Stockfish and Leela Chess Zero.
Comprehensive Chess Strategy: Go beyond tactics to understand how combinations fit into the broader context of chess strategy.
Transform Your Game
By the end of this course, you’ll have the confidence to spot winning combinations in any position, from the opening to the endgame. Whether it’s delivering a checkmate, winning material, or turning a difficult game in your favor, you’ll learn how to harness the full power of tactical chess.
Don’t Miss Out!
Enroll now and take the first step toward tactical mastery. With "Supercharge Your Chess Tactics with Winning Combinations," you’ll unlock the secrets of chess tactics, improve your calculation skills, and surprise your opponents with devastating moves.
Who this course is for:
- Understanding of check, checkmate, and stalemate.
- A willingness to learn and apply tactical motifs like forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks.
- Ideal for players rated between 0 and 1600 (beginner to intermediate). No formal rating is required, but players within this range will benefit most.
Instructor
- 4.6 Instructor Rating
- 4,302 Reviews
- 23,040 Students
- 49 Courses
Dive deep into the intellectual universe of chess with Tryfon Gavriel, famously known to enthusiasts as "Kingscrusher." Beyond my titles as a FIDE Candidate Master and British Regional Chess Master, I am a dedicated chess educator, committed to spreading knowledge and passion for the game.
Decades of Strategic Pursuits My engagement with chess is a 35-year-long odyssey marked by competitive achievements both online and offline, including a peak ICC blitz rating of 2625 and an exceptional ECF grading of 212. My early triumph in the Lloyds Under 18 national UK tournament back in 1989 set the stage for a life steeped in chess, culminating in numerous top finishes in Lichess marathons and more. A statistical blog on lichess indicates :
"... an icon on Lichess for over a decade, as a chess streamer and as a very active player on Lichess. He is currently in 2nd place in overall trophies in all arenas (behind the unstoppable ...Hoegi), he has many top 10 places in various rankings, and he has been racking up marathon trophies on his profile as well." - blog titled: "lichess-arena-rankings" (2024)
Udemy's Chess Luminary While I once enjoyed sharing insights and high-level analysis on social media, my current passion lies in crafting comprehensive chess courses for Udemy. My dedication has been recognized with the "highest-rated" award for my detailed course on José Raúl Capablanca's strategies and the "Best Seller" accolade for my "Complete Guide to Chess Tactics," which garnered widespread acclaim shortly after its debut.
Teaching that Transforms Teaching chess goes beyond explaining moves on a board. For me, it's about igniting a passion for the sport and developing a deep, enduring understanding of strategic thinking and tactical decision-making. And it is about giving students the necessary chess abilities and skills that they can make use of in every single game they play. Courses such as the best selling "The complete guide to Chess Tactics" and "The complete guide to chess visualisation". There are also some courses based on champions. Drawing inspiration from chess titans like Paul Morphy, Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, and Garry Kasparov, my courses offer more than knowledge—they provide a window into the minds of chess's greatest masters.
Your Journey Towards Chess Mastery My offerings on Udemy are designed for learners at all stages of their chess journey. Whether you're just starting or seeking advanced strategies, my courses are a gateway to deeper comprehension and appreciation of chess. Through meticulously designed lessons, I aim to equip you with the skills, confidence, and strategic acumen to elevate your game.
Join me in this exploration of chess, delving into the intricacies that make it a timeless classic. With each lesson, we'll unravel the complexities and joys of chess, fostering not just better players, but lifelong enthusiasts.